


it's a little cold for me to make a smile

by TranslatorError



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Gen, bakura centric, secret santa gift!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:40:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28277019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TranslatorError/pseuds/TranslatorError
Summary: Bakura was someone who spent most of his time alone, often reading in libraries or curled up with a nightlight in bed.When he leaves his mitts at Yugi's house, he didn't expect to become a permanent fixture in their group.(Secret Santa gift for Mila. Hope it's good!)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	it's a little cold for me to make a smile

Frost had battered the concrete over the night. Bakura had expected some snow; weather reports suggested a few inches or so, but as the snow wore down through the boots of people Christmas shopping, only ice clung to the ground. This, on a normal day, would be nothing more than a minor convenience on his walk home. Yet the day had been one where his mitts were left at Yugi's house, forcing him to cup his breaths in his palms every few minutes to heat them from frost numbness.

Bakura had only been out for an hour at most, judging by the reminder flickering on his phone. "Pick up drinks" was a vague request from Joey - what drinks *did* he want? Would lemonade be good, or rather an on brand soda? He'd spent quite a bit of time ambling around the store looking for something good, to the point an employee had asked if he needed help with finding anything. They were polite, wearing the famous customer service smile to conceal their tiredness, but he could tell they were waiting to go on break as soon as he'd packed his bags full of candies and drinks for the meetup.

The change he received was loose in his hands, and he found himself thumbing a 100 yen coin in his palm as he lost his train of thought. Yugi had only specified that Joey would be there, but knowing his friend it'd likely be a group gathering for the festive season. Would they like the small gifts he had made? For Yugi, he had a custom pendant shaped to a puzzle, with room for a photo inside. For Joey, a set of dice he spotted Joey staring at in Kame Game, emerald and cobalt contrasting in the light. While he wasn't sure if Tea and Tristan were attending, he had packed their holiday gifts in his knapsack, wrapped in clothes and a blanket to keep them safe. 

On one particular ice chunk, Bakura skidded slightly and felt the crunch of snow pillow his hands. Shivering slightly, he pulled himself up and assessed himself; no injuries, just minor chills in his hands from contacting the cold sheet near the pavement. Fortunate, considering he only had a few more minutes to Yugi's home. The less exposure he suffered from, the better.

Once he reached the right place, he paused briefly. Second guesses were second nature to Bakura - the result of sharing your body for as long as he had. His friends were accomodating, he knew that, but he couldn't shake off the feeling he was intruding on something private. A group that he wasn't a part of, one the other him had antagonised for so long.

With a bated breath he rapped on the door once, twice, then smiled awkwardly when the door blew open on the third knock. Joey was... himself, as always. He'd donned a reindeer onesie with pride, the small ears on the hood covered by an antler headband that jingled as he lead Bakura down the hallway. Within seconds of entering and taking his shoes off he had hot chocolate placed in his hand to thaw the chill that had quickly set in, and he sighed contentedly with the warmth of the radiators in the corridor. Sipping quietly, he tensed a little as Joey moved to grab his arm once more, only to release his grip seeing the other boy stiffen. Instead, Joey grinned widely and signalled where the other house guests were sitting.

"Bakura! So glad you could make it, how are you?" Yugi had immediately jumped up from his floor cushion to greet Bakura with a warm hug. The shivering boy felt himself melt into the embrace, enjoying the comfort for a few sacred moments.

"I'm doing well, thank you. Sorry I'm late."

"You're not late at all, don't worry! We wanted to wait for you for presents before lunch."

Looking over to the living room table, Bakura placed the bottles down gently as to not create too much noise. He sat by Tristan, who pat him on the shoulder on his way down. A sweet gesture, one that took Bakura off guard, but he had welcomed with a nod back. Pulling out the four boxes from his knapsack, he crossed his legs and lapped at the hot chocolate Joey gave him. Too sweet. He drank it anyway.

Tea was the first to open her gifts, on account of her being closest to the Christmas tree. All sentimental gifts which seemed to get to her - Yugi's necklace had her eyes welling up with the little Happy Lover charm on the end. Joey had mocked her for it, but couldn't hide behind his pride when he tackled Tristan for his gift. Both Tea and Joey seemed to love Bakura's presents, something that he should've probably seen coming after their hospitality in even letting him attend this year's Christmas. 

Then, his anxiety peaked when it got to Yugi's turn. He had unwrapped his box carefully, as if preserving the paper for some other time. Slowly untying the ribbon's knot, removing the box from the leftover packaging. Opening up the box. Each move felt elaborate, planned to not overwhelm Bakura with the sudden tearing Joey had set him up to expect. The conversation in the room lulled when he pulled out the necklace.

"...Thank you, Bakura. This means a lot to me." He'd instantly taken to the pendant like a duck to water, putting it around his neck instantly. Its chain had fit perfectly to allow the pendant to dangle just above where Yugi's heart is.

"I'm glad you like it. I was a little worried it was too much."

"No, no! It's perfect! Well, I haven't been wearing the Puzzle anymore, so this is... a lot. Thank you." Yugi smiled sheepishly, trying to calm the nerves of his friend.

All four of them looked to Bakura with something akin to love, and Bakura felt his heart swell with the feeling of belonging. They cared about him. He had people who loved him. Well, the presents in his lap confirmed that, but...

Joey interrupted the moment with glee, scruffing Bakura's hair up. "Well? Are you gonna check out what we got you?"

He'd opened the presents in a similar manner to Yugi. Joey first, then Tristan, then Tea, then Yugi. A mug with a cheesy one-liner about dueling, a travel chess board set, a scapegoat plushie and finally, most surprisingly, a copy of the Pathfinder RPG. 

"How did you-"

"Ah, are you surprised? I remembered you talking about wanting to pick up the game."

"But it's-" Expensive. Hard to get. Too much for him.

"Don't sweat it. We all chipped in for it, so it's not as much as you think!" Tristan moved himself closer to Bakura, pushing past the scraps of wrapping paper that clogged the room around him.

"Thank you all. A lot. I'll treasure it." He mutters meekly, before peering over the box to the grin of his gift giver.

"And, well, if it's not too much to ask, could you teach me how to play as well? It looks interesting and you're pretty knowledgeable about this stuff."

"O-Of course. Thank you. If there's anything else you'd want..."

Yugi shook his head briefly. "The pendant means worlds to me. But, if you want to do me a favour, lean in a little to Tristan."

"Huh? Oh, uh, sure."

With a quick, sudden flash Yugi had taken out a camera and snapped a shot of them flushed and off guard. Joey had his arm around Tristan merrily, while Tea pouted as Joey's elbow nudged her away from the pair. Bakura, still shaken, was looking to Tea in sympathy, hand extended to reach her (or, to potentially reach away from Tristan who had locked arms with him in the kerfuffle.) The three boys turned to the noise with surprise, Joey leaping up to grab the camera and capture one of Tristan wrapping Yugi in a bearhug. 

Bakura was a part of them. He had people who loved him. It took a lot to remind him of that, but he felt it every step he took in this house, in this home with the people who gave him that worth in the first place.

(If he was crying when he saw Yugi wear the pendant, photo locked inside, nobody commented on the matter.)

**Author's Note:**

> managed to hit 1.4k words im so proud
> 
> this is a gift for Mila, from the Yu-Gi-Oh! Friends server on discord. I tried to keep it Bakura centric, focusing on the gang. Hope you enjoyed it, and have a wonderful Christmas.
> 
> \- Pidgie#1060


End file.
